Poll: Do Evening News readers want weekly bin collections in Norwich?

Councils across England have been warned they will lose out on funding if they don't go back to weekly bin collections.

But some councils have hit back to say that residents are happy with fortnightly collections, so why change it.

In Norwich recycling and household waste bins are collected on alternate weeks.

Across the country only five councils have taken advantage of the �250m government scheme to bring back full weekly bin collections.

Councils chiefs say they are not restoring weekly bin collections because people do not want their bins emptied that often.

The Local Government Association represents 423 local authorities in England and Wales, and Mike Jones, chairman of the associations' environment board, said: 'Local authorities collect bins from 22m homes and more than four in five people say they are satisfied with the way their council gets the job done.

'What matters most to people is that their waste is collected in a reliable, efficient way which allows them to recycle easily. 'This can be achieved in different ways, depending on local circumstances. For some homes, alternate weekly collections would not be suitable.'

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles has threatened to cut funding for councils that refused to bring back the weekly collections.

He said: 'I'm making it absolutely clear that it's wholly unreasonable to expect government grants to go, in the long term, to councils that are operating fortnightly bin collections.

'That support is designed to provide weekly collections on the grounds of public health. This is a basic service that people expect.'

But Mr Jones said ministers should not impose a 'one size fits all solution' and that councils would use the funding scheme for increased food waste collections.

Around half of households in England now have their rubbish picked up once every two weeks, and two thirds of councils have fortnightly collections in at least part of their areas.